The Beginning of a New Dawn
by Thepinkhouseowner
Summary: This is set about two years after 3x13. Arthur and Gwen are King and Queen, but Arthur doesn't yet know about Merlin's magic. Morgana is very much alive... and is the wife of Cenred. What will happen when they attack Camelot and discover Gwen is pregnant?
1. Chapter 1

**Epilogue**

**I watched as the sun began to set on the horizon. It was the end of another day, but a new age was beginning. The air was moving with a light breeze; it was almost relaxing. I heard Arthur come up behind me, and shivered in pleasure as he wrapped his arms around me. **

'**It's over,' he whispered in my ear. 'It's finally over. We can stop worrying now…'**

**I smiled and leant back against his chain-mail covered chest. 'Yeah. For now.'**

**He pulled away slightly, frowning. 'What do you mean, for now?'**

**I turned to look at him. 'He'll be back, won't he? He'll want revenge on what we did… he'll want revenge on Camelot.'**

'**I suppose. But he won't attack tonight, so come back inside and enjoy the celebrations. We've got all the time in the world to worry about Cenred. Tonight… we can just enjoy the peace.'**

**I paused. 'All right, then. Let's get back inside it's getting rather chilly.'**

**And we walked back into the castle- **_**our **_**castle- to enjoy the last few hours of the day with the people I loved. **


	2. Chapter 2

Gwen was cold. No matter how tightly she pulled her numerous blankets around her or snuggled up to Arthur, she couldn't keep warm. Eventually she gave up, sat up in bed and stretched. It was already dawn- she might as well get up now. Looking across the room, Gwen searched for some sign of her clothing. It had been thrown all over the large chamber last night, as had Arthur's… she shivered again, but from pleasure at the memory this time, not the cold. Finally she located her undergarments next to the wardrobe and the rest of her outfit lying on a heap on the table, and pulled them on. Her maid, Sarah, insisted on helping her with the corset every morning, but Gwen preferred to dress herself, having done it for so many years before.

After an hour's reading of boring poetry, Merlin came in, carrying a breakfast tray laden with food. He grinned at her, put his finger to his lips and silently laid the tray down on the table, then crept over to the curtains and paused dramatically for a moment before throwing them open and crying 'Rise and shine!' at the top of his voice. Gwen watched with amusement.

Arthur groaned and rolled over, shielding his eyes from the sudden streams of sunlight with his hand. 'Don't you ever get bored of greeting me like that?' he groaned at his manservant. Even though they both insisted it wasn't necessary any more, Merlin had continued to serve Arthur and Gwen after Uther's reign had finished, saying he was happy to help.

'Highlight of my day,' grinned the servant, walking back over to the table. He lifted the lid on the plate he had brought in to reveal a large breakfast of bacon, eggs and sausages, but as soon as the smell began to waft towards Gwen, a sudden wave of nausea washed over her, making her recoil swiftly, clamping her hand to her mouth and struggling not to gag. Arthur and Merlin looked at her in surprise; this was usually her favourite dish.

Arthur rushed over and sat her down on their four-poster bed as she swayed suddenly. 'Get rid of the food,' Arthur told Merlin, 'And fetch Gaius.' He did as he was told and left the room, taking the food with him. After he was gone, Arthur began to run soothing circles into his wife's back and whispered sweet nothingness over her shoulder. After a couple of minutes, the nausea and the dizziness faded and Gwen straightened up, smiling.

'I'm starving,' she announced, leaning forwards and gently pressing her lips against Arthur's. 'What's for breakfast?' Arthur, who was looking slightly surprised at her sudden recovery, was about to answer when the doors burst open and in hurried Gaius, slowed slightly by his old age. He impatiently told Merlin, who had followed him in, to take Arthur outside while he examined Gwen, who for once obeyed the old man.

Once the two men were out of earshot, Gaius leant forwards and pushed back Gwen's hair to examine her temperature. Strange, he noticed. She didn't have the slightest of a fever. 'How long have you felt like this now?' he asked, taking her pulse.

'A few weeks or so,' replied Gwen, shrugging. 'It's not all the time, though- mainly just in the mornings, but by lunchtime I'm fine again. My eating habits have been getting weirder and weirder, too, but that's not related, is it?' she added. Gaius frowned. Even though he had been training her as a Healer for several years now, it seemed Gwen was naïve enough to ignore her symptoms- either that or she was just being really, really thick.

'Gwen, you really have no idea what all of this means?' Gaius asked the young queen, who shook her head, looking perplexed.

There was a pause.

'You're pregnant, Gwen. You're going to have a baby.'

Gwen's eyes filled with tears. 'Oh, God,' she whispered, placing her hands on her stomach. 'Oh, God… what will Arthur say? There's so much to do, there's so much to organise…' she made to get up, but Gaius forced her back, so she was lying down.

'You need rest,' he told her. 'I won't tell Arthur, but I'll say that you're sleeping, and need to be left alone. Merlin will come and wake you up at around lunchtime, ok?' Gwen nodded, and watched through half-closed eyes as the physician left the room.

Morgana, wife of Cenred and most powerful sorceress in their ever-growing kingdom, left back from her crystal ball in shock. This wasn't true… this couldn't be happening…

She hissed in anger at what she had just seen and called for one of the ever-present guards outside her chamber's doors to come in. 'Send for my husband,' she commanded. 'Tell him I have news; news that will please him greatly.' The guard nodded and walked quickly out of the room, feeling slightly uneasy under his mistress' piercing gaze. Yes, she was beautiful, but there was something about her that made him slightly nervous, slightly uneasy, as if he had something to apologize for, even though he knew he hadn't.

He left Morgana pacing the entire length of her chambers for several tense minutes before Cenred strode in, his sword in his belt and his cloak flowing out behind him. 'What is it, my love?' he murmured as soon as the doors had slammed shut behind him and her hands had been taken in his. 'What news do you wish to tell me?'

Morgana paused, trying to think how to phrase it best. After a moment's pause, it blurted out of her mouth before she could stop it. 'Gwenspregnantwitharthursbaby.'

'Sorry, I didn't quite catch that,' Cenred smirked. 'Maybe say it in English this time?'

She glared at him. 'This is no time for fooling around, Cenred. We have waited for this moment for so long now. Gwen is with child.'

A shocked silence followed.

'Arthur,' Gwen began, wringing her hands together nervously. 'Arthur, there's something I have to tell you.'

'You couldn't help me out of this chainmail, could you, Guinevere?' replied her husband, who obviously hadn't listened to a single word she had just said. The inner servant inside her quickly obeyed, and within moments the chainmail was on a heap on the floor with Arthur standing on it, now dressed in just his trousers and his favourite red shirt.

'Training was brutal today,' he continued, still oblivious to her nerves at telling him.

What if he reacted badly?

What if they weren't ready for a child yet?

'Gwaine must have drunk too much last night at the tavern, because every time two swords clanged together he would drop whatever he was holding and clutch his head with his hands, even if he was the one holding one of the swords… god, the amount of times your brother managed to hit him on the head…'

'Arthur,' she interrupted, desperately trying to stop him from talking. 'Please. I have to tell you something.'

He looked at her in surprise. 'What is it? You're not about to be ill again, are you? Because when I saw you at lunch, you seemed fine- at least, you were a lot less ill than you were this morning…'

'I'm-'

The door burst open, and Sir Leon walked in. 'Sorry to interrupt, sire,' he said, glancing at the couple's closeness on the bed, 'But there's just been a report of signs of activity in Cenred's castle. A council meeting is required immediately.'

Arthur nodded and stood up. 'Sorry, Gwen,' he said, quickly kissing her forehead, 'I've got to see about this. Do you want to come and help with the plans?' Gwen nodded and followed her husband out of the room.

Once again, Morgana stepped back from her crystal ball, but this time her action had a triumphant air about it. 'Well?' said Cenred said eagerly.

'My dear brother now knows that we are making plans. If you would be kind enough to meet him in battle, in let's say, three days and bring him to me, we may be able to make him surrender for the protection of his precious unborn child…'

Cenred grinned wickedly and took a step closer. 'An excellent plan, I must say. When I married you, I didn't realise how useful you would be in forming an army against Arthur…'

Morgana placed a hard kiss against his rough lips and smirked. 'With my magic and your military experience, what could possibly go wrong? In fact, I might pay _dear _Arthur a visit soon, just to let him know what's going on…' they sank back onto their bed, a mass of chainmail and silk dresses…

'Is he forming an army?' Gwen asked, looking down at the map again. Cenred's kingdom was only a four day's ride from Camelot; if they were already setting off now, a siege could be upon Camelot in under a week.

Leon nodded. 'I think so, although they weren't ready to be on the move yet. It looked like they were just making weapons and gathering their army. No signs of Morgana, but then she and Cenred rarely leave their castle walls, do they?'

Arthur shook his head. 'No, but it's usually at least twice a week they step outside to see how their kingdom is doing in the lower towns.' He ran a hand through his hair distractedly. 'They must be plotting something against us, more than a siege.'

'You're right. We're planning a battle on a battlefield, not a siege.'

They all spun round to see Morgana standing in the doorway, a smirk upon her lips and her purple dress in its usual perfect condition as glanced down at the two guards she had already slain.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Two

Almost at once, the Knights of the Round Table, as they were now known, drew out their swords and pointed them at their king's half-sister. Before Gwen could stop him, Arthur stepped forwards, for once completely unarmed. 'What do you want, Morgana?' he half-said, half-shouted. His anger was understandable; they hadn't seen each other since she had taken her place on the throne and tried to destroy Camelot nearly two years ago.

Morgana stepped forwards to grasp him in a shocking hug. 'Ah, Arthur,' she said, drawing back to look him in the eyes. 'How nice to see you again! I hope you've been well… we haven't been able to keep in touch as well as I'd hoped…' Arthur stared at her as if she had just grown a second head and tried to pull away, but her grip remained firm.

Merlin stepped out of the shadows for the first time, his dark eyes glittering dangerously. 'Let go of him, Morgana. You're not welcome here. Leave, while you still can.'

Morgana smirked and raised her hands in mock surrender and immediately Arthur stepped back to stand next to Gwen. 'Fine,' she declared. 'I'll leave. But aren't you forgetting something, Merlin? I have done you all the courtesy of making an effort to come and see you- shouldn't you give me something in return?' no one answered, not knowing what she was getting at, and after a short pause she continued. 'Well, then, if you're not going to give me anything, I'll take something for myself…' she paused dramatically. 'Ah, yes. This'll do nicely.' And she reached forward, snatched Gwen by the shoulder and the pair vanished in a sudden gust of wind.

Arthur swore and spun round on the spot. 'Gwen!' he shouted. 'Oh, sh-'

Merlin looked round in a panic. He happened to glance at the spot where Gwen had been taken and spotted a slightly burnt piece of parchment fluttering to the floor. 'Here!' he cried, picking it up. 'Listen- she left a note-' He held it at eye's level and began to read:

_Arthur,_

_My husband, King Cenred, has requested a battle against you and Camelot's army seven days from now, on the field surrounding the Darkling Woods. The result of the battle- in other words, whoever wins, for I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't understand the last sentence- will determine the fate of your precious wife Guinevere. We both look forward to seeing you in battle, and hope you all perish miserably when our immortal army kills you all._

_All the best,_

_Your loving sister Morgana_

A shocked silence followed, and Merlin shook his head. 'She's mental,' he muttered. 'Absolutely mental.' A clap of thunder came from overhead, and Morgana reappeared, eyes golden.

'Oh, and I nearly forgot,' she called over the howling wind, 'you always seem to cause trouble, don't you, Merlin? Maybe I'll take you with me too- keep Guinevere company in the dungeons-' and she snatched merlin and disappeared once more.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The door was thrown open, and Gwen looked up in terror to see Merlin get thrown roughly onto the cold stone floor. Gwen stood up and rushed over to hug him. Before she could stop herself, she burst into tears. Gently, Merlin rocked her slightly, trying to soothe her, and they sat down, leaning on the stone wall, shoulder to shoulder. When Morgana had taken Gwen, she had been thrown into the cell mercilessly, and left in silence until Merlin had arrived. Her old mistress hadn't even glanced at her.

Eventually, her tears subsided, and Merlin looked across at her. 'Are you all right?' he asked quietly, and she nodded. 'What's wrong? You've been acting weird for ages now. Are you ill? Because Gaius wouldn't tell me why he had to check up on you, but it's obviously not nothing-'

'I'm fine,' Gwen mumbled, and sub-consciously rested her hands on her stomach. It was a moment before she saw Merlin staring with wide eyes at her abdomen. 'But- but you can't be-' he spluttered, pointing at where her hands were resting. She nodded glumly. 'Not that it matters.'

'But- but- _how_?'

She allowed herself a faint smile. 'Well, Merlin, when a man and a woman love each other very much…'

He put his hands over his ears and screwed up his face in disgust. 'Ew! I really don't want to think about you and Arthur doing… stuff.'

'Why not? It's very fun stuff,' she teased, watching him squirm in discomfort. Then her voice took a more serious tone. 'Arthur doesn't know yet.'

'What?' Merlin stood up. 'How can he not know?'

'I haven't told him.'

'Why not?' he started to pace.

'I haven't had the chance!' she shouted, and immediately regretted it when she saw his look of hurt. 'Sorry,' she muttered, fiddling with her hands. 'He was meant to find out today, but just as I was about to tell him Leon came in with the news about Morgana…'

'So he came into the meeting,' Merlin said, nodding. 'And a week today he's going into battle seven days from now, while we're stuck in this stinking cell, and there's a chance that on the battlefield he might-' he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence when her saw Gwen's face crumple.

'Don't say that,' she whispered, putting her head in her hands. 'Please. I couldn't bear it if something happened to him, especially now that he's going to be a father.' The words sounded strange now that she said them out loud. He was going to be a father. She was going to be a mother. They were going to be responsible for a baby in less than nine months…

More tears started to make tracks down her face. 'Oh, God, what am I going to do? He has to know. He can't fight not knowing. We have to get out of here, Merlin. I have to speak to Arthur-' he knelt down in front of her and took her smaller hands in his rough ones.

'Gwen,' he muttered, looking her in the eyes. 'Do you trust me?'

'Of course, Merlin,' she replied confidently.

'With your life? Would you put your life in my hands?'

'Er…' she was confused as to where this conversation was going. 'Yes. I trust you with my life, Merlin.'

'Okay.' He had gone even more pale than usual and was trembling slightly. 'Gwen, I am so sorry that you have to find out like this. I sear, I have never tried to hurt anyone in Camelot, not Arthur, not even Uther. I was born like this. I only ever use it for good, I promise.'

'Merlin, what are you talking about?' she asked, completely intrigued.

He didn't answer, just stood up to face the door and raised a shaking hand in front of him. 'Æbæremorþ!' he yelled; sparks flew out around the cell walls and the door burst open. While it was happening, Gwen had covered her eyes with her hands, but now she lowered them and stared at her friend in shock.

'You're a sorcerer,' she said hollowly.

All he could do was nod.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

'No!' Arthur yelled, spinning round on the spot once more. His wife and his- although he would never admit it to anyone- best friend had both just been kidnapped by his evil and mad half-sister, and he been able to do nothing to stop her.

Gwaine let out a low whistle and put away his sword. 'Well,' he said into the billowing silence. 'I know she's evil, but she sure does know how to make an entrance, eh?'

Elyan glared at him. 'Gwaine,' he said in a low voice. 'The Queen of Camelot- _my sister- _has just been kidnapped. Do you really think that now is the best time for jokes?' Gwaine lowered his head and uncharacteristically looked grave, muttering something that sounded a bit like an apology.

Arthur began to pace. 'We have to go and get them back,' he said, addressing all the knights. 'Go and get the servants to saddle the horses- we ride for Cenred's kingdom immediately. A split second after he had finished speaking, Morgana's voice appeared out of nowhere, bouncing off the stone walls.

'Well, Arthur, you really are as stupid as you look, aren't you? Have you not listened to a word I have just said? The only way you can win back your precious wife is by meeting us in battle seven days from now.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

All he could do was nod.

Gwen stood up and started to pace, not knowing that her husband was doing the same just a few hours away. 'You're a sorcerer,' she repeated, running a hand through her hair. 'You're a sorcerer. Oh, god…' she turned to face him. 'Who else knows?'

There was a pause. 'Just Gaius and my mother,' he muttered, avoiding her gaze.

'How many people have you killed?' she asked abruptly.

'What? None! Not all sorcerers are bad, Gwen,' he said quietly. 'The only use for my magic is to protect Camelot, and to save Arthur's royal backside- which, I might add, is harder than it sounds.'

She stared at him. 'Give me an example.'

He paused, and then went over to re-lock the cell door, motioning for her to sit back down next to him. 'Well, there was the time when…'

Merlin had a feeling that they were going to be here for a very long time.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Morgana strode in, positively beaming. Cenred rushed over and once again took her hands in his. 'What news?' he murmured. 'Is everything going to plan?'

She smirked at her husband. 'Gwen and the troublesome serving boy, Merlin, are locked up safe and sound in the dungeons. Without them, Arthur is helpless. On the battlefield, he won't stand a chance without the love of his life and his closest friend.'

And once again, they were as one in their bed.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Well, that's the next chapter done! Thank you to all of you who have reviewed so far… I've said it before and I'll say it again: I never expected it to get such an incredible response so soon. So many people have added it to their favourites! Sorry the chapters are so short, but it means that I can update it more often xx


	4. Chapter 4

'So, let me get this straight,' Gwen said, running a hand through her hair for the thousandth time. 'The immortal army… the Questing Beast… the troll that married Uther… you stopped all of them?'

Merlin shrugged. 'Well, yes. I mean, no. I mean, I had a lot of help along the way, especially from-' but then he stopped and looked down, as if there was something else the he didn't want Gwen to know.

'Help from who?' she prompted curiously.

'Kilgharrah, the Great Dragon,' he muttered, eyes downcast. Gwen backed away from him swiftly.

'You told me you weren't evil!' she shouted, glaring at him. 'You said you only use your magic for good, and yet you admit you had help from the dragon that tried to kill us all! I don't know what your idea of _good_ is, Merlin, but it's certainly different from mine-'

'I'm a Dragonlord,' he interrupted quickly, before she could continue her rant. 'Arthur didn't drive him away from Camelot, it was me. I can force him to do anything that I want him to do, and I have never forgiven him for trying to kill us all; I probably never will. But he forged me the sword that defeated Morgana's immortal army, and for that I am eternally grateful.'

There was a silence, and Gwen sat back down again. 'You should have told me,' she whispered, tears starting to make tracks down her cheeks again. 'You should have trusted me, you should have trusted Arthur. How could you keep this from us Merlin? I've known you for over six years! Surely you've had long enough to realise you can tell us anything?'

'I know, and I'm sorry, but I couldn't risk anyone else finding out!' he pleaded, eyes wide.

More silence. Then-

'So, are you going to get us out of this stinking cell so I can go and tell my husband I'm pregnant or what?'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

'Sire,' Leon called. 'We need to rest. The army is growing tired.'

Arthur ignored him and continued to ride through the woods. All he could think of was Gwen, stuck in a cell on her own and Merlin, probably in a similar position. He had to rescue them. He had to make sure they were all right.

Suddenly, a noise from the left made him stop dead. There was heavy panting- from more than one person, Arthur guessed- and heavy footsteps. Then, out of the darkness, came two people: Merlin and Gwen.

'Arthur!' Gwen cried; a moment later, her knees gave way and she collapsed onto the rough ground.

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Morgana screamed out in fury, felt her eyes glow gold and the guard flew across the room, slumping unconscious against the opposite wall. '_How could you have let them get away?'_

Another guard stepped forward and bowed, trembling. 'Please, Mistress, it seems that the prisoners have escaped using magic. The door has been blown straight off its hinges, and there are scorch marks around the frame.'

Slowly, Morgana turned. 'Show me,' she said quietly. 'Prove to me that you are right, and I might spare your life.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Gwen looked around her blearily with half-open eyes.

She was lying on the floor, that was certain; she could feel the bracken beneath her, scratching at her back. Someone was gently pressing a damp piece of cloth to her forehead, keeping her cool, and a gentle hum of voices made up a background noise. She pushed away the cloth, which was quickly becoming irritating, and sat up. 'Oh, thank god she's all right,' someone said, and she twisted her body slightly to see Arthur standing with Gwaine, Elyan, Leon and Merlin.

'Gwen!' Arthur said, rushing over and embracing her tightly; a moment later, he began to rock her gently from side to side. Usually, the action soothed her, calmed her down, but today it just made her want to-

'Excuse me!' she managed to get out, before rushing out of the tent and vomiting behind a secluded patch of trees. A moment later he was by her side, waiting patiently. When she had finished she straightened up but continued to look down at the ground when she spoke. 'I'm sorry,' she muttered.

'You're apologising for being ill?' he almost laughed.

She took his hands in hers and forced herself to look him in the eyes. 'Arthur, I have to tell you something,' she began nervously. 'Something you have to know before you go into battle next week. Arthur, I'm-'

'Arthur!'

Merlin appeared out of nowhere and, unlike most people, seemed incapable of planting his feet on the ground, and therefore continued to run into them, making all three of them topple to the ground. There was silence for a moment, and then a small 'Sorry' came from Merlin, earning him a smack on the back of the head from Arthur.

'You idiot!' he exclaimed angrily. 'Couldn't you see Gwen and I were talking? She was about to tell me something!'

Merlin's eyes became round as he found Gwen's glare on him. 'Oh…' he said, finally understanding what he had just interrupted. 'Anyway… there's a messenger here from Morgana, and he wants to speak to the King. I think you might need to hurry, he didn't look like someone who would wait around for long…'

Arthur and Gwen didn't wait for Merlin to finish rambling, just ran straight back to the camp to find a small, rat-looking man standing next to one of the small fires that had been lit for warmth with all the knights' swords being pointed at his neck. 'I have a message from _Queen _Morgana,' he sneered as Arthur entered the clearing. 'Are you Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot?'

Arthur rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. 'I am.'

The messenger smirked. 'Then listen closely: _If you kill a single man in battle, not only will Guinevere be harmed, but both of them shall be killed._' Then, he clapped his hands together, and disappeared into thin air, surrounded by dust.

An eerie silence fell over the camp, and one by one, the knights put away their swords. Arthur put his head in his hands. 'What did you mean?' he shouted, as if the messenger was hiding somewhere. 'Hurt Gwen and who? Who else will you hurt?'

Gwen paled, feeling as if she was going to be sick again. She knew exactly who the other person was; a person that was yet to be born. 'I'm going to go and lie down,' she murmured to Arthur, avoiding his gaze. 'I still don't feel that great.' Slowly, she made her way to their tent, where a small bed awaited her. She lay down on it, staring up at the thin, red fabric that was the ceiling.

A million thoughts were going through her mind. She knew that now was the time to tell Arthur, but the question was how on earth was she meant to get him on his own for long enough to complete a sentence? How would he react? Would he still be willing to go into battle? Who-

'Gwen?'

She jumped up, only to sit back down again in relief to see it was just Gwaine and Elyan standing in the tent's entrance. Her brother looked at her with worried eyes. 'Are you all right?'

'I'm fine,' she said, nodding. Gwaine snorted.

'Of course you're not fine!' he scoffed. 'Look at you! You're a mess! No offence, though-' Gwen smiled at him, but to her horror and embarrassment, found tears welling up in her eyes. Gwaine looked at her in shock as she promptly burst into tears. 'Oh, god, Gwen, you know I'm only joking!' he said, pulling her into an awkward hug.

'I know,' she sobbed onto his shoulder. 'I know you're only joking. But you're right, I'm a mess…'

'Well,' said Gwaine after a moment's pause, 'I have heard that pregnant women are prone to sudden overreaction to small things…'

Gwen stared at him in shock. 'What? Who told you?'

Gwaine burst out laughing. 'I was right, you are pregnant! No one told me, it was just a lucky guess… but it had to happen sooner or later, I suppose. I mean, you've been sharing a bed with him every night for the past two years, haven't you?'

Gwen stared at him incredulously. 'A lucky guess? How do you just guess that someone's pregnant? I mean-'

'What? You're pregnant?'

Gwen spun round and groaned; in the entrance stood Leon with Percival (the two had become almost inseparable since their first meeting three years ago), with Merlin standing slightly behind the pair, looking amused at how the scene was playing out. It was evidently Leon who had spoken- his mouth was still open as he stared openly at her.

Gwen sighed, and nodded in defeat as the newcomers moved further into the tent, closing the flaps in the material. 'Fine. Everyone, now that you're here, and so you don't keep on asking me questions: yes, I'm pregnant. No, Arthur doesn't know. I'm not keeping it from him on purpose, it's just we keep getting interrupted (at this point, Merlin had the grace to look slightly ashamed). Now, not one of you can breathe a _word_ of this to anyone, in case it reaches my husband's ears, because I want to be the one to tell him-'

'Tell me what?'

The young queen froze, not daring to look over at the entrance. When she finally did, it was to see Arthur standing with his arms folded across his chest. 'Well?' he said after a pause. 'What do you want to tell me? What's happened?'

There was a huge, billowing silence. Then-

'Pickled eggs!'

Everyone stared at Merlin.

'_What?'_

'Pickled eggs,' he repeated uncertainly. 'Um… Gwen wanted to be the one to tell you that… that she smashed the jar of pickled eggs, and she was worried that you would be upset because you like them so much, and so-'

'-and so I offered to say it was me, but- but-' Gwaine intervened.

'-But I said that _I _would, because you've known me for the longest, so you wouldn't get as cross at me-' Leon intervened helpfully.

'- all right, all right, that's enough,' said Arthur, smiling slightly. 'Gwen, why didn't you just tell me? It's only pickled eggs, why would I get cross at you for something like that?'

Gwen tried to smile. 'Yeah. Sorry. I'll get it cleaned up now, hang on-' she said this before realising that there was no mess to clean up, and that their story was completely transparent.

'It's all right,' said Merlin smoothly. 'I already got rid of the mess.'

Arthur nodded, still looking slightly suspicious. 'Well, don't worry, at least it was only minor news! With all the times you've been wanting to tell me something over the past few days, I was worried it was going to be something terrible, like you're pregnant or something!'

For a moment, it was as if everyone in the tent stopped breathing.

'Terrible? Why… why would me being pregnant be a terrible thing?' asked Gwen, her voice faltering slightly. She looked around, and saw that all the knights, as well as Merlin, had mysteriously disappeared, but she could still see their silhouettes on the other side of the material.

Arthur grinned. 'Well, don't get me wrong, you know I'd like children one day, but it's not as if now would be a good time, is it?'

'How do you mean?'

'Well,' he laughed, 'I'm going into battle next week, Morgana and Cenred are still at large, and I'm still getting used to being King! It really would be awful timing, wouldn't it?'

'Yes,' Gwen murmured, as her husband drew her into a hug, 'Awful timing.'

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Morgana smirked, once again laying her crystal ball down on the small table that lay between her and her husband. 'What is it?' Cenred asked lazily from his seat in his large armchair.

Her smile didn't leave her face as she turned to look at him. 'It seems Gwen is losing faith in Arthur. He just told her that now wouldn't be a good time to have children. And _none _of them have worked out my riddle yet!'

Cenred laughed, taking a sip of his wine. 'Good. Everything is going to plan. I've always said that the best way to take a kingdom is to turn people against their leader before you strike; that way, their defences will not be whole-hearted. Soon, Camelot will be under our command…'

This time, Morgana joined in with her husband's laughing.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Four

Once again, Gwen was cold. No matter how close she cuddled up to Arthur, who was sleeping next to her on the tiny single bed they were sharing, she just couldn't stop shivering. Eventually she got up and began to get dressed, trying to ignore the strange sense of déjà vu that was surrounding her.

When she had looked in the small mirror that one of the servants had thought to pack and deemed herself decent, Gwen stepped outside the tent and looked around the camp with slightly bleary eyes. Several small fires had already been lit, and a few people could be seen roasting various animals on them for what, Gwen supposed, would be their breakfast. The sun was just above the horizon, marking the beginning of the new day, but not high enough to wake the rest of the army up from their deep slumber. And there, sitting on a log and staring into a small fire that was just beginning to smoke, sat Merlin and Elyan side by side.

She made her way over to the pair, who were talking quickly and quietly, as if they didn't want to be heard. As she reached them, she heard Merlin say frantically, '-Of course, I know he won't turn her away when she tells him, but I'm still not sure that he'll be understanding about why he hasn't found out before now, and that might mean- Gwen!' he jumped when he looked up and saw her standing behind them .'You're- you're up early!' he faked a smile, but Gwen didn't miss the quick glance he shared with Elyan.

Gwen shrugged and sat down on the log next to them, shrugging. 'Couldn't sleep. What about you two? Surely you deserve a lie in?'

Merlin glanced at Elyan again. 'Oh, we were just… discussing battle plans.'

Gwen raised an eyebrow at the obvious lie. 'Really?'

'Yup,' said Merlin, nodding vigorously. 'Um… about how I might be useful, you know, using my… talent.' He shot her a nervous glance, still unsure about how she would react. She _had _just found out her best friend was a sorcerer, after all.

To Merlin's surprise, she just nodded and said, 'That would be useful. Can you think of a way to avoid Morgana's deal?'

'What, the whole don't-kill-any-of-my-soldiers-or-I'll-kill your-queen thing? Well, I'm not sure yet, but I was thinking of seeing if Kilgharragh had any answers-'

'The dragon?'

'Well, yeah. I mean, don't worry, I won't bring him anywhere near the campsite, but I might have to take a day off to make sure we're so far away that no one sees us.'

'Wha- a dragon? As in _the _Dragon?' asked Elyan, looking shocked. 'The Dragon that tried to destroy Camelot a few years ago? Blimey, Merlin, I knew you had Magic, but you never told me you were a Dragonlord!'

'Hang on. When did you find out about Merlin having magic?' asked Gwen incredulously. Merlin looked a little guilty.

'He's known for about a year now,' he said uncomfortably, poking the fire with a twig. 'I didn't tell him, he just… saw me using it.'

'He saved my life while we were hunting,' explained Elyan.

Just then, a servant came up to them with a plate of something that looked like smoked bacon and eggs. 'Breakfast for you, m'lady…' he began, but Gwen never heard the rest of his sentence, for as soon as the smell reached her she ran to throw up in the trees. She heard her brother follow her into the woods, and sure enough, when she straightened up and looked around for something to wipe her mouth with he was standing behind her and holding out a large leaf.

'Thanks,' she said groggily, using it quickly and discarding it in a nearby bush. She was about to walk back into the camp when Elyan stopped her, lifting her chin and forcing her to look him in the eyes.

'Today,' he told her sternly. 'You have to tell him today. Even if he doesn't think that now's the right time, he has a right to know.'

Gwen nodded. 'I know,' she said quietly. 'It's just… he's right, isn't he? Of all times, now is when I decided to become pregnant!'

'Decided?' said Elyan sharply, eyebrows knotting together. 'I thought it was an accident?'

She looked down at the ground. 'Not exactly. I was becoming impatient, Elyan! I wanted a child so much!' tears started to appear in her eyes once again. 'I wanted to give Arthur a son or a daughter, someone that would make us a family. I stopped being careful. I stopped trying to avoid it. Arthur doesn't know that it was deliberate, of course…' she impatiently wiped away the tears from her cheeks. 'You're right. I'll tell him today.'

He smiled slightly. 'Good. And hopefully he'll make you happy again- I don't like to see my baby sister cry.'

She grinned and swatted his arm playfully. 'I'm not your baby sister! I'm two and a half years older than you, thank you very much!'

'As you kept reminding me when we were growing up together.' He laughed. 'Do you remember that time when we went down to the river together once, and you said that just because you're not a boy it shouldn't mean that you weren't allowed to get your feet wet?' he laughed again and put on a high-pitched voice, obviously trying to imitate his sister. '"Just because you're a _boy, _El, it doesn't give you the right to boss me around! And anyway, Mother said that you're my responsibility, because I'm-"'

'"- two and a half years older than you, thank you very much!"' they chorused, still laughing.

'I can remember Mother was so cross at me for losing you in the woods that day,' said Gwen reminiscently, shaking her head and still smiling. They began to walk slowly, but not in the direction of the camp. 'We spent hours looking for you that night. Why did you run off, anyway?'

'You were being mean to me,' he replied, mock-pouting. 'You told me that under no circumstances was I to annoy Annie Falcon, because it wasn't fair to tease her about how she looked.'

'Poor Annie,' sighed Gwen. 'Why did she have to have such crooked teeth?'

Elyan shrugged. 'It's her own fault for sucking her thumb so much.' He paused. 'It' strange, though- I've seen a lot of small children in Camelot doing the same thing. Maybe she started a trend.'

Gwen rolled her eyes. 'Elyan, young children do that all the time- it's a way of comfort.'

He frowned. 'Maybe I should start reading up on all this baby stuff once the battle is over. Hey!' his eyes lit up. 'Maybe I could be, like… your little one's babysitter, or something!'

She stared at him for a moment, and then burst out laughing. 'You honestly think I would allow my child to stay in your care?' she grinned. 'You'd destroy half the castle as soon as I left you alone. Heavens, even _Merlin _would be better than you at that job, and that's saying something-'

'Hey!' protested Merlin, appearing, so it seemed, out of thin air. 'That wasn't very fair- what was it you were saying about me? I heard my name, and I had a feeling it wasn't a compliment.'

'Never mind,' said Gwen. 'I'm sure-'

'Shush!' said Elyan suddenly, holding up a hand, and the three of them fell silent.

'I don't hear anything,' whispered Gwen after a moment.

'Exactly,' muttered Elyan, drawing out his sword. 'It's too quiet.'

Suddenly, an arrow shot out of nowhere and whizzed towards them, hitting Gwen square in the stomach. She saw a hooded figure running away into the trees, and then everything went black.

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'Gwen?'

She opened her eyes blearily to see Arthur's pale and terrified face just inches away from hers. Grimacing, she placed a hand on her stomach. 'What happened? This is the second time in two days I've woken up on this bed and having to ask what's been going on.'

Arthur didn't smile. 'One of Morgana's men shot an arrow at your stomach; Merlin says it was soaked in some kind of poison. Elyan was quick enough to check that it wasn't just a bandit as he ran away before carrying you back to camp. Why on earth did you think it would be safe to wander into the woods alone?'

'I'm sorry,' muttered Gwen, looking down. 'I didn't think, but I had run there to throw up. I didn't want to have to do it front of everyone, did I?'

Arthur's frown deepened. 'What's wrong, Gwen? Why do you keep throwing up all the time? You're ill, aren't you? Something's not right, and it's something serious. What is it?'

Gwen rubbed her stomach again, ignoring Arthur's persistent questions. Something felt very wrong with her body- she felt empty. It was as though something had been taken out of her. Something like….

'Arthur,' she heard herself say. 'Go and get Merlin. I need to ask him something.'

Her husband looked surprised at the randomness of her request, but did as he was told nonetheless and left the tent. A couple of minutes later her closest friend entered the tent, wearing a worried expression almost identical to Arthur's. 'Gwen!'

He rushed to her side, and perched on the end of her makeshift bed, jigging a leg up and down- which, Gwen had learnt of the years, was a sure way of telling that he was nervous or agitated. 'Thank god you're all right,' he said. 'Elyan carried you back to camp, and I took the arrow out of your stomach, but I only had time to take a sample of the poison before it vanished into thin air. Arthur was driving us all mad with his worrying, so in the end we had to leave the two of you alone in the tent. Why did you want to see me, anyway?'

There was silence for a moment as she tried to form a sentence in her head. Whichever way she explained it silently, it just sounded silly. 'I… I feel empty,' she tried finally, hands still resting on her stomach. 'Like… like when the arrow was pulled out of me, something went with it. Something vital. I just feel like something's missing.'

At first, Merlin didn't reply- he just sat on the bed, leg still jigging up and down. 'I think Morgana might have stolen your baby,' he said eventually. 'The arrow was poisoned with Clepta.'

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'My lady!'

The man rushed into the throne room, and skidded to a halt in front of where Morgana was sitting. 'My lady,' he repeated, out of breath. 'I did as you told me, and the arrow hit the Queen straight in the stomach.'

Morgana turned round slowly to face him. 'Thank you,' she said sweetly. 'You shall be rewarded for the trouble you have gone to.'

The man turned bright red at being spoken to directly to by his mistress and muttered his thanks, before bowing and hurrying back out of the room. As soon as he was out of sight and the doors had been locked by her faithful soldiers, the smile was instantly dropped from her face and she turned back to the cauldron behind her, which was now issuing copious amounts of steam. There was silence for a moment as she leant heavily against the rim and closed her eyes, allowing herself to remember for just a minute.

Today was the anniversary of Morgause's death, exactly three years since she had sacrificed herself to open up the gateway to the Other World. It had been the first time Morgana had actually killed one of her own kind, and it was not an experience she would care to repeat. Morgause had meant everything to her, and she had killed her for the sake of power. It hadn't even been worth it; she hadn't won that battle against Arthur and his stupid knights that time, either. Still… their time would come, and that time might just be next week.

A sudden hiss brought her out of her reverie, and her head snapped up just in time to see an arrow fall from the ceiling; she held her hands out and it landed in her palms. 'Perfect,' she whispered, and dropped it into the cauldron. The potion it contained turned a brilliant, fiery red, and the next moment a figure rose from it, wrapped in a pure white blanket and hovering at Morgana's eye level.

She snatched her from the air and cradled the baby in her arms, taking in every inch of the new life she was holding. Even if it was Arthur and Gwen's child, she was beautiful. Morgana had no idea how she knew she was a girl, but somehow, she just _knew. _'Hello, baby,' she whispered. 'I'm your aunt, and I'm going to raise you. You're going to have Magic, and you're going to be trained to kill your parents. You will be the greatest and most terrible assassin that will ever live, and you don't even know it yet. Because that's what will be your purpose in life. You're going to fight for what is right, and you will be your father's downfall. Because no parent can willingly kill their child, can they?'

The baby slept on, and Morgana smirked.

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**So, that's this chapter done! Thanks to all the amazing reviews I've had so far- keep them coming, and don't be afraid to review more than once! I'm dedicating this chapter to **wisdomgoddess26**- thank you SO much for your very funny PMs! This one's for you, hope you like it **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Five

'The arrow was poisoned with Clepta.'

Gwen just stared at him, hands still stroking her stomach. 'What?'

Merlin looked uncomfortable. 'It's… a kind of stealy… thing…'

'Just spit it out, Merlin!'

'Well…' he tried again, 'It's a type of potion that can suck a life form out of another- meaning a baby can be taken from his mother's womb before he's ready to be born. Then, the baby will rise out of the cauldron fully formed as a new born, and will be a lot stronger due to the magic that helped bring him into the world.'

She froze, her hands still resting on her stomach. 'So you're saying,' she said hoarsely, 'That right now my baby is with-'

'Morgana? Yes.' Merlin nodded his head, looking down. 'And someone thought to pack some books on magical curses and poison and whatnot in case Morgana tried to use anything like that against us, and there's only one way to undo this. Your blood must touch your child's blood so that he can re-join your womb and the pregnancy will carry on as normal.'

Gwen sat up. 'Do you know where she is now? Morgana, I mean.'

'Well, she and Cenred rarely leave their castle, so I'm guessing- Gwen, what are you doing?'

For Gwen had got up and started to pack a bag full of clothes and bundles of food. 'I have to go and get my baby back,' she explained hurriedly, fastening her red cloak under her chin. 'I'm going to have to leave now, I don't want to waste any more time.'

'But Gwen-'

'No, Merlin. You're not going to try and stop me, because I'll go anyway. I have to get my baby.'

'But what about Arthur?'

She paused. 'You can't let him follow me, Merlin; no matter what the cost, he has to stay here and train his knights. They need him on the battlefield more than I need him on a simple visit to see my sister-in-law. If I don't succeed in what I'm about to do…' she paused again, and with trembling hands slotted her jewelled dagger into its holder on her belt. 'If I don't succeed, then the battle will commence and Arthur is sure to die. How on earth would you be able to win a battle without killing a single enemy?' she gave a shaky laugh. 'It's madness, complete madness.'

Merlin stood up and drew her into a tight hug. 'Don't go,' he whispered. 'Please. At least tell Arthur the truth about where you're going , or he'll think you've left him for good or something ridiculous like that. He won't think that he has anything left to fight for. And anyway…' he cleared his throat, hiding his emotions once again. 'Arthur's less of a prat when you're around.'

Chuckling slightly, Gwen drew back and looked her closest friend in the eyes. 'I don't want to go,' she whispered, 'Least of all alone. But this is something just between Morgana and I that needs sorting out once and for all. I suppose you could say it's a girl thing.'

Merlin smiled and handed dug around in his pocket for a moment before handing her what looked like a fragment of ruby hanging off a silver chain. 'Not that I doubt you can look after yourself, or anything,' he said, 'But this is just an extra precaution. If you're really in danger or can't cope, hold onto this charm and think of whoever you need the most.'

She allowed him to fasten the clasp on the back of her neck and then stood on her tiptoes (she'd only just realised just how tall he really was) to give him an unexpected kiss on the cheek. 'Thank you, Merlin,' she whispered. 'And promises me you'll look after him while I'm gone?' there was no need to say who she was talking about.

'You know I will protect him with my life,' was his simple reply.

Gwen nodded one and, after checking she had enough food for a few day' riding, she stepped outside the tent and into the warm spring air. A quick survey of the camp told her Arthur had gone back to the makeshift training grounds, and was currently lecturing his newest knights about the importance of stamina on a battlefield. She walked towards him with shaking legs.

'…you'll be out there for hours at a time, possibly even a full day-' he was saying, before stopping at the sight of his wife walking towards him. 'Guinevere!' he smiled, which faltered slightly as his eyes roamed over her packed bag and travelling cloak. 'What are you doing?' he asked, a little uncertainly.

She sucked in a deep breath. 'I need to go somewhere.'

Arthur's brow crinkled. 'What? Where?'

She paused. 'I need to go to Morgana and get her to stop the battle.'

Her husband looked shocked. 'Gwen, you can't be serious-'

'But I am, Arthur,' she whispered, biting her lip and taking a step closer. 'I can't not do my bit, can I? There are some… unforgivable things that she's done lately, and I'm going to make her put them right.'

'Gwen,' said Arthur desperately, taking her hands in his. 'Please don't do this. Look, let's go somewhere quieter; talk things over for a bit and then-'

She couldn't bear it any longer. 'The time for talking is over, Arthur,' she murmured, and for a moment she captured his lips with hers. He clung to her like a drowning man, not caring that all the knights were watching their exchange in wonder and fascination, but she resisted his grip and gently pulled away.

'Please,' he whispered, and his voice cracked as tears spilled onto his cheeks. 'Please. Don't go. I can't do this on my own. Don't leave me…'

'I love you, and I'm sorry,' were her last words before she hurried over to a horse, sat herself upon it and rode into the woods as fast as she could.

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'Merlin!' yelled Arthur, storming into his tent. The manservant looked up from the book he had been reading whilst lying on the floor and sighed.

'Yes?'

'She's gone!' spat Arthur, starting to pace. 'Gone to Morgana, gone to try and stop this battle on her own!'

'I know. I tried to stop her, and I'm guessing you did too, but you know Gwen, she's-'

Arthur stopped. 'You knew? You found out before I did?'

Merlin looked guilty. 'Look, the only reason I found out before you did was because the reason she's gone is that I told her the arrow had been poisoned with Clepta!'

'Clepta? What's Clepta?'

Merlin's face paled. If he told Arthur the truth, then he would know for sure that Gwen was pregnant, because what else could you steal from a woman's body. 'It's a potion that can make you feel drowsy and giddy for days, but I managed to stop it from spreading,' he lied smoothly. 'Gwen will be perfectly safe whilst riding, have no doubt about that.'

'Right,' said Arthur suspiciously; for some strange reason, he didn't trust his manservant's hesitant explanation. 'Well,' he said after a pause, 'It's not like you can just sit around here all day reading, is it? Go on- the horses need watering and feeding, Sir Gwaine's tent looks like a pigsty and Leon's boots need polishing.'

Merlin grumbled incoherently and stomped out, muttering something that sounded a bit like '…_always_ get given more jobs when she's not here to keep him under control…'

Arthur waited until the flaps of the tent have closed again before striding over to the small mountain of books that Merlin had thought was okay to dump in the middle of the floor. He rifled through them hurriedly before he found the one he was looking for: _Magical Poisons and Their Remedies._

He quickly flicked through the leafy pages, glancing over the amount of notes and odd markings Merlin had made around the text and diagrams. Strange boy, he thought. Half the handwritten words weren't even proper English. Eventually, he found the page he was looking for: Clepta. Here was a simple sketch of weird-looking plant in the corner of the page, and once again the text was half obscured by Merlin's strange words. Then he read a sentence halfway down the page and dropped the book back onto the mountain with a _thud._

…_it is a poison that can take a life form from a woman's womb; at first the victim will faint or collapse, but there will be no permanent damage. The child is then…_

Arthur gulped. It all made sense now.

The sickness.

The crying.

Gwen wanting to be the one to tell him that-

'Oh my god,' he whispered.

Gwen was pregnant.

He was going to be a father.

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A short while later, dusk fell and Gwen was forced to rest. After making sure her horse was tied tightly to the tree, she rolled out some blankets on the sharp bracken and lay down on the soft materials, using her Camelot cloak as a blanket to go on top of her.

This cloak meant the world to her. It had been presented to her by Arthur the day she had officially moved into the castle, signalling she was now a trusted member of the court. It showed that she had the kingdom's trust, and that Arthur truly counted her as an equal. She didn't know what she would do without it. Gwen closed her eyes and sighed.

Just half a day's ride to go.

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'So, what's happening?' said Gwaine brightly, throwing another log onto the fire that Arthur had summoned the Knights of the Round Table around- and Merlin. Arthur looked round at them all. He wasn't sure why he wanted to tell them his shocking discovery. Maybe it was because he just wanted to get it off his chest; maybe it was because he needed someone else to know that Gwen needed extra protection if anything were to happen to him on the battlefield.

Maybe it was because these men were like family and that he hated to keep any form of secret of them.

'Gwen's pregnant,' he said abruptly, talking to his boots. There was silence for a moment before Leon spoke up.

'She told you, then?'

Arthur's head snapped up. 'What? You already knew?'

Leon looked guilty. 'I didn't mean to find out, my lord! I just happened to overhear Gwen telling Elyan and Gwaine-'

Arthur swivelled round to glare at the two knights, who were determinedly avoiding their king's piercing gaze. 'You knew as well?'

'And me,' supplied Gwaine helpfully. Arthur stared at them all.

'Don't tell me, Merlin,' he said sarcastically. 'You knew, too?'

Merlin nodded. 'And Percival, actually.'

'You _all _knew and not one of you thought to tell me?'

'Well,' said Leon calmly, despite Arthur's obvious anger, 'She wanted to be the one to tell you, you see. And we all agreed, and then everyone but found out, and now it's all kind of snowballed.'

'Right,' said Arthur disconcertedly, slightly perplexed by this sudden turn of events. 'Right. Well, that makes this conversation a lot easier without you all questioning me about everything. So, the plan is that some of you will stay here and continue to prepare the army for battle whilst the rest of us go and get Gwen back. That way, we'll-'

'What?' said Gwaine, running a hand through his hair. 'Who said anything about rescuing Gwen? She's more than capable of looking after herself. In fact, she'll probably murder anyone who tries to rescue her.' He looked pointedly at Arthur, who was wearing a determined expression.

'Look,' he said quietly. 'She's my wife. On the day I married her, I vowed to protect her with my life, and I never break a promise. She can't do this alone.'

Merlin shifted uncomfortably on the log he was sitting on, deciding not to mention that he had already given her extra protection.

'Anyway,' the king continued, 'You'll probably be wondering why I haven't set off already, and that's because I don't want to make a scene in front of the army. It has to be done discreetly, so they won't even realise I'm gone until they wake up. The rest of you must make an excuse for where I am- don't mention Morgana, because her spies are everywhere- and tell them that I'll be back in time to lead them into battle, which I will be. Now, I want you lot,' he pointed to Gwaine, Elyan, Percival and Leon, 'To stay here. Merlin will ride with me.'

'What?' Merlin protested, looking up. 'What if I don't want to?'

'You don't have a choice, Merlin.'

'Oh, all right, then,' he muttered, smiling secretly. He was actually glad that Arthur wanted him to come with him, as he knew his master would, at some point, need protecting from Magic.

Arthur stood up. 'Merlin, go and saddle the horses and pack some food while I talk to these.'

'But-'

'Just go!'

Once Merlin was out of sight, Arthur leant in closer to the fire and lowered the voice. 'Is it just me that has a horrible feeling that something's going to happen to Merlin soon? It's weird, but I just have a feeling that he's going to do something ridiculously noble any day now.'

The other knights nodded in agreement; they could sense the strange aura that had been hovering around Merlin, too.

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Dawn broke, and Gwen sat up, stretching. After a quick breakfast of bread and a swig of water, she continued to ride to Morgana. She arrived in the castle courtyard at midday, and yet it was eerily empty; her horse's hooves clopped against the cobbled ground. Even the guards were absent, meaning that she was able to walk freely through the castle before arriving at the closed doors of the throne room, where she expected to find her old mistress. It was here that she saw the first two people that day: two guards standing on each side of the doors.

Gwen cleared her throat, and one of them glanced at her. 'Guinevere, Queen of Camelot,' he said calmly, as if reading from a script. 'Go inside. Her Majesty has been expecting you.' She blinked in surprise; she hadn't expected it to be this easy.

It was _too _easy.

Sucking in a deep breath, she pushed open both the large oak doors and took a step forwards.

And there, in the centre of the room stood Morgana, cradling a newborn child who was gurgling happily.

_Her _child.

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**Yayyyyyy, Arthur has FINALLY found out that Gwen's pregnant! It took a while, I know, but I wanted to add a few twists to the plot: I had always thought that he would find out from her, but apparently not…**

**Thanks again to all you lovely people who've reviewed; keep going, I love them and will happily consider putting some of your suggestions into the story! I think this has to be my fastest update ever, and that's because my teachers have decided to be kind- I didn't get a single piece of howork this week, how amazing is that? Anyway… I'm also working on a story that I'm actually considering getting properly published (aaaah! Excited? Moi? No…) so that's also been taking up quite a bit of my spare time. Au revoir! xx**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Six

**[Just a quick notice: towards the end of this chapter is where it gets closer to the "t" rating… don't say I didn't warn you!]**

Gwen took another step forwards and cleared her throat as loudly as she could. Morgana looked up, but strangely there was no trace of surprise at the sight of her old handmaiden.

'I believe you have something of mine,' she said bravely, voice trembling. 'And I want it back.'

Morgana just continued to smile.

'Well?' said Gwen after a moment's pause. 'Aren't you going to say anything?' she took a few more steps forwards, but was thrown back by an invisible barrier that seemed to be shielding Morgana.

'You fool,' said Morgana softly, looking down at the woman now crumpled on the ground. 'You always did underestimate the power of magic. Did you really think I would allow you to get too close to her? Do you really doubt my common sense that much? Frankly, Gwen, I'm insulted.'

'Her?' Gwen echoed, lifting her head off the floor slightly. 'It's a girl?'

Morgana's expression softened. 'Yes. And a very beautiful one at that, too…' the baby stirred in her arms, and she chuckled. 'Oh, she knows when her mother's complimenting her, doesn't she? Yes, yes she does…' Gwen watched the scene play by, feeling slightly sick. Morgana was acting as if she was _her _child, not her niece.

'Her mother?' said Gwen faintly. 'No. I'm her mother. You will have no part of her life.'

Morgana glared at her. 'This was you child, Gwen. _Was. _Not any more, not now that I can take better care of her!'

Just then, footsteps were heard and a moment later Cenred strode through the open doors. He stopped dead at the scene in front of him. 'Morgana,' he murmured, staring at the child in his wife's arms, 'Forgive me, but I wasn't aware that we were having children…'

Morgana laughed. 'Gwen here has very kindly let us adopt her child. She's ours now. We can raise her by ourselves and teach her magic and tell her what is right and wrong in this world until she is ready to hate and kill her own father!'

Cenred stared at her. 'Morgana,' he said quietly, 'You're actually a genius. You have no idea how lucky I am to have you.'

The witch smirked. 'I do my best.' Then she turned to look at Gwen. 'Guards!' she called, and two guards appeared out of nowhere. 'Take the queen to dungeons,' she commanded. 'She can rot there for a while until I decide what to do with her.' The guards nodded and, none too gently, dragged Gwen to her feet. She was thrown into a cell, and only had to wait a few minutes before the guard on the door turned round to look at her.

'My lady,' he said quietly, bowing his head slightly.

'Bertram!' she gasped in relief, silently thanking god that Merlin had managed to persuade Arthur that having spies posted as prison guards in Cenred's kingdom was a good idea. 'Can you get me out?'

'Certainly, my lady,' he said, taking a key off his belt and twisting it in the lock; within moments, the queen was free. 'Be careful, your majesty,' he said seriously. 'I'd keep away from the well-lit areas of the castle if I were you; I don't think any of the guards would be happy to see a prisoner walking about the corridors.'

'Good point,' she said. 'Where did everyone go earlier, by the way?'

'They were all there,' said Bertram, 'But Morgana put a spell on everyone so that you would only be able to see the ones she wanted you to see. That way, the guards in the lower town would be able to run and tell her that you had arrived without you stopping them.'

'Impressive,' she said, nodding. 'Now, could you tell me the quickest and most discreet way to the queen's chambers, please?'

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'Arthur!'

Arthur snapped out of his trance and looked across at Merlin. 'Sorry, what?'

'Have you listened to anything I've said in the past hour?'

'No,' he said truthfully.

The two of them had been riding all night, and had already crossed the length of two forests and six fields, which wasn't exactly surprising given the speed they were going at. Arthur had refused to listen to Merlin's suggestion of stopping to rest, instead just gathering speed on his horse.

'I said I'm sure that Gwen's all right,' repeated Merlin patiently. 'She'll be able to fight off Morgana until we get there; she's perfectly capable of taking care of the situation until we get there.'

Arthur ignored him, and continued to ride on. All he could think of Gwen.

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Finally, Gwen arrived at what had to be Morgana's chambers. There were no guards on the door to stop her, and she slipped in unnoticed. Her plan was working so far. She had known Morgana since she was a child, and had long since learnt how her mind worked; she had quickly discovered that the direct approach never worked. Instead, Gwen had decided that snooping in her old mistress' chambers to find something she could use against the queen would work better.

After poking around for at least half an hour, however, Gwen was beginning to give up hope. She knew that Morgana would have nothing useful to Gwen in her room, otherwise she would have put her elsewhere, but she had hoped to find a secret hiding place somewhere with classified information. She sat down heavily on the bed and put her head in her hands, trying to think. Where would Morgana hide something? In a place that no one would think to look in, that was for sure. She tried to think where things had been hidden when she was in Camelot when she felt a sudden rustle as she shifted her weight on the mattress. She shifted again, and the shuffling sound repeated itself.

Quickly, she got down on her knees and put her hand down underneath the covers, slitting open the feather mattress and pulling out a wad of papers. She glanced through them; they were endless notes, and maps, and references, and sketches all linked with one man: _Emrys._

Her forehead creased in confusion, she re-read one of the quotes: _the one they call Emrys will walk in your shadow. He is your destiny… and he is your doom._ 'Emrys,' she breathed. She was looking for a man called Emrys; this man was her doom.

It was then she realised what she had to do.

Stepping out of the room once the papers had been returned to their hiding place, she was immediately grabbed on each arm by two guards. 'Take me to your queen,' she said with a shaking voice.

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'Well, this is it,' said Merlin as they looked up at the towering grey castle.

They hurried through the underground tunnels they had first encountered a few years ago in silence, finally emerging in the damp, murky dungeons. 'Stay here until I say the coast is clear,' whispered Arthur, and stepped out into the warm light made by the torches hanging from the walls. He walked as quietly possible towards the one guard on duty, who had his back to the tunnel. Arthur pressed the point of his sword into the man's back. Bertram turned to look at him, and bowed.

'My lord,' he said.

'Bertram!' said Arthur in relief, beckoning for Merlin to come out of the shadows to join them. 'Have you seen-'

'Guinevere? Yes, she was thrown into a cell not half an hour ago. I immediately released her, of course, and-'

'Do you know where she was heading?' said Arthur urgently.

'Morgana's chambers, my lord.'

Bertram gave them directions and they were just making their way up the third flight of stairs when the guards caught them.

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Morgana looked at the guard in surprise, tearing her gaze away from the baby still cradling in her arms. 'Both of them have been captured, you say?'

'Yes, your majesty.'

She paused. 'Bring them in.'

A moment later, Arthur and Merlin were escorted through the large doors of the throne room, both looking rather worse for wear: the pair had both gained several cuts and bruises from attempting to fight off the guards despite having their hands tied behind their backs. Morgana smirked. 'Hello, Arthur,' she said as her brother and his manservant were thrown to the ground. Arthur glared at her.

'Just give up, Morgana,' he said angrily. 'You're never going to win.'

She laughed. 'Oh, Arthur, don't you understand? I've already won. I've taken your child as my own. I have your queen in my dungeons. And now, I can take your life…'

'You're wrong,' said Merlin quietly; nobody but Arthur would have been able to feel the anger radiating off him, and his shaking hands should have been a bit of a giveaway.

'What?' snapped Morgana.

'You're wrong,' he repeated, a little louder this time. 'Gwen isn't in the dungeons. We let her out.'

Morgana went pale. 'You're bluffing.'

'He's not, your majesty. It's true that Gwen _did _escape; however, she quickly recaptured.' All three of the turned towards the door, Arthur and Merlin shuffling on their knees, to see Gwen get dragged in by two more guards. She was thrown down at the queen's feet and focused her gaze on the ground, not trusting herself to look over at Arthur.

'Well, well, well,' murmured Morgana. 'Look what the cat dragged in.'

Gwen didn't speak.

The baby in Morgana's arms made a small cooing noise and for the first time Arthur laid eyes on his daughter.

'My original plan was to wait until this little one has grown up and is prepared to kill you, Arthur Pendragon.' She paused. 'Do you know who this is, Arthur?'

He shook his head, deciding that faking stupidity was probably the best option he had.

'This is your daughter, Arthur. Your daughter that even your _lovely _wife didn't dare tell you about. How does that make you feel?'

Gwen stared at the ground, feeling tears start to prick her eyes. She had never felt so guilty in her entire life.

'It makes me feel happy that I have a daughter,' said Arthur. 'But I suppose you already knew that, didn't you? You've probably been reading my mind for years, or something else that's equally… witchy.'

'I'm deciding to ignore that last comment, which is rather fortunate for your life. I was going to raise you daughter to kill you, but now that you know of her existence, maybe I'll just dispose of you here and now. How shall I kill you all?' she mused, walking across to look at them all. 'I could… run you through with a knife?' she smiled; a weird, twisted smile. 'I could burn you all on a pyre, as our father has done to countless others.'

'Emrys,' said Gwen suddenly, unable to stand it any longer. Both Merlin and Morgana stared at her.

'What… what did you just say?' said Morgana hoarsely.

'Emrys,' she said confidently, blinking away her tears. 'I know all about him, Morgana. I know he is the one who will defeat you… why not make that time now?' she pulled out the stone from under her dress, and Morgana gasped.

'A summoning stone? Where on earth did you get that?'

She glanced at Merlin, a smile playing on her lips. 'It was a gift from an old friend.' She held it up to eye's level, not entirely sure how to use it, and closed her eyes, willing with all her might that Emrys should appear. Morgana tried to snatch it from her, but was stopped by a sudden whirlwind of dust…

Merlin had risen from the ground and landed in front of Gwen. 'You called for me?' he said nervously.

They all stared at him in shock until Morgana let out a humourless laugh. '_You, _Merlin? Gwen must have thought of you at the last moment or something, because you can't possibly be Emrys- you don't have magic, for a start!'

'Don't I?' whispered Merlin, turning to face her with pure hatred in his eyes. 'You have underestimated me for so long, Morgana. You have no idea who I really am.'

Morgana blinked, suddenly realising that the guard might have been telling the truth about magic being used to open the cell after all. 'You,' she whispered. 'Emrys.'

'Me,' he echoed, 'Emrys.'

Cenred stepped out from behind one of the pillars and glanced across at his wife's scared expression. 'You won't be Emrys for much longer,' he said quietly, and threw a dagger towards Merlin's back; however, a moment later Merlin had spun round and the dagger had stopped in mid-air before spinning round and flying back towards Cenred; the king took one last look at his wife, and then span round and ran out the room, shouting, 'I'll meet you on the battlefield, Arthur Pendragon!' Morgana looked after him with tears in her eyes. Her own husband had just left her to die. And to think she had actually trusted him, _loved _ him… she blinked back the tears and turned to look at Merlin again as the dagger clattered to the floor.

'Hand over the baby,' he whispered. 'Hand over the baby, and I will leave you to live in peace.'

Morgana clutched the baby tighter to her body. 'Never,' she spat.

Merlin looked as if he was about to cry. 'Please, Morgana, I'm begging you, don't make me do what I'll have to do…'

There was a long pause; so long, Arthur was considering getting up and going to kill Morgana himself. 'Go ahead and do it,' she mumbled finally. 'I've got nothing left to live for.' She knew that now was the time to go. Morgause was dead. Her husband didn't love her. Every time she said this child was hers she knew, deep down, it was a lie. But she couldn't let Merlin become a murderer.

Could she?

No. There was no question about that. On shaking legs she walked over and picked her husband's dagger off the floor, then stood in front of Gwen before kneeling down in front of her and raising the knife.

'No!' shouted Merlin and Arthur at the same time, both moving to try and protect their queen (the action was made a lot more difficult by the fact that Arthur still had his hands tied behind his back), but it was too late- Morgana dug the knife into Gwen's arm, making a large cut down the side of the limb. Gwen cried out in pain and fell to her knees once again. Arthur had never hated himself more than at that moment; his wife had been cut open while he was knelt beside her, blood pouring out of her wound and he couldn't take away the pain-

Merlin stood up again and slammed the doors to the room shut, in which Morgana had been trying to smuggle the child through whilst all the attention was on Gwen. 'Stop running away, Morgana,' said Merlin. Suddenly he yelled, '_Accipere_!' and the child flew into Merlin's arms, who caught it deftly and handed it over to Gwen. She cradled her child with shaking arms and watched in terror as Merlin raised a trembling hand and blasted Morgana against the opposite wall, screaming, 'Send eam Avalon. Ut eam elit. Fac bonis. Dico vobis, Freya, custodi illam tutus!' over and over and over again…

Eventually he stopped as a sudden whirlwind appeared; as it skated past Morgana, her body vanished into thin air. Finally, it was silent.

Merlin turned to them, wiping his eyes. 'She's dead,' he declared. He walked over to the three people in the corner of the room, and Arthur seemed to shrink away, all toughness going away. Merlin looked him straight in the eyes. 'I'm sorry,' was all he said. Arthur nodded.

'You can explain later,' he muttered. 'But now, we need to focus on Gwen's injury…'

They both glanced at the little pool of blood now forming on the floor. Merlin said, 'I'm sorry,' once again, before taking the child out of Gwen's arms and piercing the tiniest hole in the baby's arm- exactly the same spot as Gwen's, Arthur couldn't help noticing- before blood started to drip out of the second wound, too. 'What do you think you're doing?' shouted Arthur in disgust, but Gwen realised what was going on: _Your blood must touch your child's blood so that he can re-join your womb and the pregnancy will carry on as normal._

'Oh,' she whispered as Merlin pressed her arm against her baby's. 'Oh…' it was the most curious sensation; it felt as if warmth was flowing through her body, until her womb became so hot it was almost unbearable-

And then it was all over. Merlin shot her a twisted smile. 'Congratulations,' he said through dry lips after sealing the cut with another spell and had watched as the baby, like Morgana, had disappeared. 'You're pregnant.'

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The ride back to camp was completely silent.

When they arrived, it was dusk, and all the soldiers were either retiring to their tents or sitting around fires, talking in low voices. Arthur helped Gwen down from her horse, ignored all the Knights of the Round Table who had come over to greet their king, nodded once at Merlin (which Merlin had long ago learnt meant "do not disturb me on pain of death") before taking Gwen's hand and leading them away to their tent, which was set slightly apart from the rest of the camp.

Merlin noticed all the knights staring at him expectantly and said, 'Gwen's still pregnant. Morgana's dead. Cenred's escaped. The battle commences as planned at dawn.' Then he walked off in search of some half-decent food.

Once the two of them were in the tent, Arthur dropped Gwen's hand and started to pace. 'Morgana's dead,' he said calmly.

Gwen chanced a glance at him. 'Yes.'

'Merlin's a sorcerer.'

'Yes.'

'You're pregnant.'

She paused. 'Yes.'

He finally stopped pacing and ran a hand through his hair. 'That's a lot to take in over the space of a few hours,' he muttered, and Gwen took a step forwards.

'Arthur,' she whispered, taking his face in her hands, 'You have no idea how sorry I am for not telling you about the baby earlier. I wasn't putting it off, I swear, in fact I kept _trying _to tell you for days…' she felt a tear fall down her cheek, but didn't wipe it away. 'But we just kept getting interrupted, and then Morgana took the baby, and I was in a cell, and I was so scared, and-'

He brought his lips down on hers roughly, messing up her hair and pulling their bodies closer together. Finally, they broke apart for air. 'I want you,' he murmured in a low voice, his eyes dark with lust. 'Right here, right now. I don't care if anyone walks in on us. I don't care if the bloody battle starts without me. I just want you one last time before I…' his voice cracked, and Gwen brought his lips down to meet hers again.

'Tonight,' she mumbled as they clumsily fell onto the bed, 'Your wish is my command.'

Arthur never really remembered much of that night. He remembered feeling slightly guilty when he saw Gwen's dress ripped and torn, lying in an untidy heap on the floor. He remembered the feel of her lips tracing his jawline, his neck and his collarbone as he rubbed her in some rather… _private _ areas. He remembered her calling out his name several time during the course of their lovemaking, and he remembered watching in delight as her eyes rolled back into her head with pleasure.

But the most vivid part of the memory was the three words at the end that she whispered in his ear as he hit a peak he had never hit before in his life.

**Soooo, whaddya think? The final scene was quite difficult for me to write, but I did my best and I really hope I did the storyline justice! I know, it's a long chapter, but I really don't know where I could have cut it and I don't think there are any bits I could have left out.**

**On another note: once this story's completed (not long to go- only a couple of chapters, I think!) I want to work on another idea that's been floating around in my mind for a while now. I don't want to give too much away, but I can tell you that it'll be in modern times, involving a film set, an arrogant actor with the main role and a quiet but beautiful costume designer… and, of course, it will focus on ARWEN! **

**Please review to let me know what you think about this chapter (obviously the next one will be about the battle and the aftermath) but also to tell me what you think about my idea for the next story. Also, this is going to sound completely random, but is there a name for that thing where instead of imagining you're seeing things, you're imagining that you're hearing things? It's driving me mad!**

**Thank you, and once again, keep reviewing! **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Six

**PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE BELOW BEFORE CONTINUING:**

**So, it turns out that this is the last ever chapter for this story. :'(**

**I'm sorry it's so short, but really, the plot's already been dealt with- Arthur knows everything, Merlin's magic has been revealed, and Morgana has been sent to Avalon. This is really just tying up any loose ends. **

**Maybe one day someone would do me the honour of re-writing this chapter for me, as it really is terrible and I have no pride in it whatsoever.**

**On a brighter note- thank you to all the wonderful reviewers, subscribers, and followers of this story- I honestly don't think I could have done this without you!**

**If you've only subscribed to this story, and not me as an author, ****I would highly recommend that you follow me, not just TBOAND****- this way, you'll be alerted when the first chapter of my new story gets published; I've decided on the title 'Forbidden', if that's all right with all of you. It should be up within the next couple of weeks, and please feel free to PM me with any ideas you might have that I can add to the plot- I'll also do a Q&A thingy through PMs as well (you can read a short description of the plot at the end of chapter five of this story).**

**Thank you all once again, and don't forget to review/subscribe!**

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They were woken by Merlin appearing at the foot of their bed and saying softly, 'It's time.'

They dressed in silence, and Gwen helped her husband into his armour without speaking once, for fear that if she opened her mouth she might be sick. She was sure that Arthur was feeling the same, too.

After hardly any breakfast- neither had any appetite, but Gwen knew that she needed to eat something for the baby- they stepped outside into the camp, looking round at the army. They were assuming their positions, their rows, columns, sharpening their swords in a hypnotising rhythm… just the sight of it made Gwen's mind boggle. It amazed her that so many thousands of men could all work together that easily, could know exactly where to stand without having to be told.

The Knights approached Arthur; the king nodded once and they were about to walk away when Gwen rushed forwards and hugged them all together, able to feel their warm heartbeats through their heavy armour and chainmail. They all patted her on the shoulder, clearing their throats gruffly before they made their way to the front of the army, calling for silence. Arthur turned to Gwen. 'I love you,' he whispered, voice breaking. He paused and stroked her stomach with as much tenderness as he had least night. 'Both of you.'

All she could do was nod and whisper, 'I'll see you later.'

He walked off towards the knights, not trusting himself to look back over his shoulder. If he did, there was no way he would be able to leave her ever again.

The beginning of the battle was a bit of a blur. He knew that he had shouted, 'For the love of Camelot!' before charging at Cenred's army which had appeared on the other side of the battlefield. He knew that now Morgana was dead, and that her condition of them not being able to kill any of their soldiers didn't matter anymore, because she was already gone and wouldn't be there to curse them. He knew that he had thought of nothing but Gwen and the baby, filled with anger and passion and hatred towards Morgana and grief and relief that he was alive-

He knew that they were losing.

He knew this because Cenred's men were advancing on them quicker than they could handle; their defences were weakening, and they were losing more men than he could keep track of-

Suddenly, before he knew what had happened, he was flying through the air and looked back in horror to see that an arrow had shot his horse in the leg, who had obviously thrown off his rider in pain. He landed in a crumpled heap next to a large rock, a dazzling pain shooting through his back. Through his half-closed eyes he saw someone yell something at the top of their voice, and a silvery-white glow appeared over the battlefield. He heard someone say, 'It's over,', and then everything went black.

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'Arthur…'

He opened his eyes blearily and gazed at his wife who was sitting on a chair next to him, looking pale and stricken. 'Arthur!' she gasped as he turned his head towards her. 'Oh, thank god…' she burst into tears and bent down to hug him. He tried to hug her back, but found he couldn't move his limbs.

'What happened?' he muttered groggily, trying to sit up, but once again, his body wouldn't meet his instructions.

She looked down, biting her lip. 'You were thrown off your horse in battle. Gaius said you've damaged your back quite seriously, shattered your pelvis and fractured both your wrists from trying to break the fall. He's made everything from the chest down numb, so you can't feel the pain while you're healing, which is why you won't be able to walk for at least a month.'

'A month?' he echoed faintly. 'I won't be able to walk for a month?'

She nodded, tears threatening to start falling again.

A sudden thought struck him. 'Hang on. Does this mean a whole month without sex?'

She gasped, not sure whether to laugh or not. 'Arthur!'

'What?' he tried to raise his hands defensively before remembering he couldn't. 'I'm a man, isn't sex meant to always be on my mind?' he paused. 'Can't Merlin do anything?'

She looked at him in shock. 'I- well, we talked about it while you were unconscious yesterday, and-'

'How long have I been out for?' he interrupted, feeling perplexed.

'Two and a half days, including today. Anyway, he reckons there's a spell that would heal you completely straight away, no harm done.'

There was a huge, billowing silence. Then- 'Well, it's worth a shot, isn't it?'

Gwen stared at him. 'Are you sure?'

'I'll do anything so I can have sex with you, love, you know that.' He flashed her her favourite crooked grin. 'Could you fetch Merlin for me now, please? I need to talk to him, anyway.'

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'You called for me, sire?'

Arthur's eyes snapped open. There stood Merlin, visibly petrified, standing at the end of his bed. 'Yeah,' he said groggily. 'Yeah. I was wondering if you could use your… _powers…_' he hesitated, 'To heal me.'

Surprise flitted across the manservant's face. 'Really?'

He gave a small smile. 'Things are going to change around here, Merlin. It will take time, but I think that eventually, magic might work its way back into the kingdom in the near future.'

Merlin beamed, happiness radiating off him. 'Arthur, you have no idea how much this means to me. I swear on my life that I will help you solve things in every way I can, and-'

'Merlin,' he interrupted, 'We'll discuss the finer details later on. Right now, can you just get on with healing me?'

A few chosen words later, Arthur felt a warm tingling feeling spread through his body and a minute later, he felt as if he had never been injured at all. Merlin nodded in satisfaction, and glanced nervously at the king, unsure as to whether he had changed his mind at all. 'Thank you,' said Arthur quietly. 'I will not forget this.' He paused. 'The white light I saw in the battle- was it you?'

'Yes, sire,' said Merlin, so quietly that Arthur wasn't sure he had spoken at all. 'I repelled Cenred's army using magic as soon as I saw we were losing. However…' he cleared his throat awkwardly. 'Cenred managed to escape.' Merlin nodded again, smiling slightly, and was just about to walk away when Arthur added, 'Oh, and you couldn't get Gwen back in here, could you?'

Merlin's smile widened. 'You're not injured, Arthur. Get her yourself.'

So Arthur heaved himself out of bed, and got himself dressed as quickly as possible. To his surprise he could walk without any pain or difficulty or pain at all- he hadn't expected Merlin's magic to work so effectively. He practically ran through the castle, ignoring the strange looks the passing servants gave him, and didn't stop until he reached the large oak tree in the palace gardens. He liked to think of it as a very meaningful tree: it had been at this spot that he first told Gwen he loved her, and it was at this spot- so he had been told- that Uther had asked for his mother's hand in marriage. It held so many memories, and not one of them was a bad one.

As he had suspected, Gwen was already there; he had long since learnt that this was the spot where she liked to come and think. She was slumped down on the ground, leaning against the tree and basking in its shade with a silver goblet placed next to her. At first she didn't see him approach; she was too busy examining the needlework on the piece of silk she was holding. He watched her look at it for a moment and then cleared his throat; she jumped, looked up at him and gasped. 'You're all right!'

He nodded, and she leapt to her feet, nearly knocking him over with the force of her embrace. He chuckled into her shoulder. 'Are you sure you should be as active as you were just then? You're carrying my child, I wouldn't want him- or her- to get hurt.'

She leant back to look at him and rolled her eyes. 'Arthur, if I'm going to have to endure seven months of you being ridiculously overprotective, then-'

He silenced her with a kiss. 'I'm sorry,' he murmured. 'I'll try not to irritate you too much.'

'And what of Merlin?'

He paused. 'I'm firing him.'

She blinked in surprise, but broke into a wide smile when he continued, 'He's going to become my personal advisor… when he isn't busy being a complete and utter clotpole.'

Gwen laughed slightly nervously and brought their bodies closer together, marvelling in the fact that an hour ago her husband was still unconscious and paralysed. 'So this is it? We're going to have a family?'

'We're going to have a family,' he confirmed, kissing her lightly on the forehead. 'A real family, with lots of children and laughter and happiness.'

'We'll need to talk to Gaius about appointments and getting a midwife.'

'A nursery will have to be prepared-'

'In Pendragon colours, all reds and golds?' she asked, smirking.

'Naturally.' He kissed her again, this one lasting slightly longer than the last. 'We'll make the announcement in court tomorrow.'

'Will there be a feast of celebration that evening?' she asked hopefully.

Arthur laughed. 'Hungry, are you?'

She punched him softly on the arm. 'I'm eating for two now, it's perfectly natural for me to be twice as hungry.'

'Of course.'

The sun was beginning to set behind the oak tree, its blood red rays setting the sky alight with colour. As they kissed once more, neither noticed the silhouette of a figure on the horizon, two swords strapped to his back as he sat proudly on his horse.

Cenred.

He wasn't finished with Camelot yet.

He'd be back… just not today.

Today, he thought as he rode away, was just the beginning.

The beginning of a new dawn.

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**So, it's finally over! Once again, a HUGE thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story; 11,605 hits for just a few chapters, something I never expected! Remember to keep an eye out for my new story, Forbidden, and keep reviewing!**

**Over and out ;)**

**xx**


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